Touch The Moon And Call It Ours
by flowerrrs25
Summary: Laura has a date to prom. Let's just say Ross isn't happy about it. Raura. Three-shot.
1. Falling On My Knees

Disclaimer: Ross and Laura belong to each other. And R5 is owned by Hollywood Records.

A/N: My take on this whole prom thing. I hope you guys like it!

(I think I take too much pleasure out of writing jealous Ross)

* * *

He can't—

He's scrolling through his mentions like he always does after dinner and then his eyes land on the words _Laura _and _prom_ and _date_ and he's hit with a wave of jealousy so intense that it doesn't even register when he drops his phone on the ground.

All he can think is _LaurapromLaurapromLauraLaura Laura Laura_ and he's so blinded by what he's pretty positive can only be called _rage_ that he doesn't even notice that his entire family is staring at him because his hands are clenched into fists so tight his knuckles are completely white.

It takes Rocky four tries to get his attention and it only works the last time because he grips his shoulder and shakes him.

"What?" he says, his voice deathly quiet, and they all shrink back just a little bit probably because the anger is practically radiating from his body.

He's actually kind of surprised he's even able to speak because he can't even _think_.

"Dude, are you okay?" Ryland finally asks, his voice hesitant. "You dropped your phone but you're just sitting there. And your face is all red."

He stares at his younger brother for a second with unfocused eyes, not really comprehending anything he's saying, and then he stands up abruptly and walks out of the restaurant and barely even hears them calling behind him.

He doesn't know where he's going but he feels like he's about to go _insane _because she's going to prom with someone that's not him and she's going to look gorgeous and slow dance and take pictures and _slow dance_ and it's not with him, it's not with him, it's _not with him_.

If he's being honest with himself he knows he has no right to be jealous because they aren't together or even really that close to it but the wound's still fresh—hell, he's pretty sure his heart just shattered into a billion pieces and he's bleeding internally and he feels like he's about to _die_—and it hurts all the more because he thinks he's made it pretty obvious how he feels about her.

All of the staring and his flimsy excuses for touching her when there's absolutely no need to, not to mention the teasing and the flirting and the unmistakable tension that's been between them for the past two years. He absolutely refuses to believe that she could have misread any of it because he _knows_ that she's been sending him signals, too.

He thinks back to the meet and greet because that wasn't even four days ago and it's all fresh in his brain—the touching, the hugging, his hands on her hands, his fingers on her bare shoulder, her arm around his waist, the teasing and the laughter and the not-so-subtle glances. But the memory only serves to make his head spin as he recalls the way she smelled, the way she felt, her skin smooth and warm under his palm, the smile on her face as she watched him lift up a little girl, the way her eyes would light up because it still blows her mind that there are fans who want to hug her and all of a sudden it's too much, it's too _much_.

He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath and tries to calm his pounding heart because somewhere in the back of his jealousy addled brain he's aware that his family has no idea where he is and he can't even remember what city they're in.

It takes him a second after he opens his eyes to register his surroundings and then he slowly retraces his steps back to the restaurant. They're all waiting outside for him when he gets there and he opens his mouth to say something, give some sort of explanation, but apparently they don't need one because they're all looking at him like he's a bomb that's about to go off.

"Let's just go," he mutters, not even bothering to pretend that he's okay. "Can I have my phone?"

His mom hands it to him hesitantly and the worry is plain on her face but he just shakes his head a little bit, giving her a look that he hopes is telling her that he appreciates her concern but he doesn't want to talk.

The short trip back to the bus is silent and tense and he walks ahead of everyone because he just doesn't want to deal with the pity and the pep talks because it's not okay, it's really, really not.

He gets to the bus before anyone else and heads straight for the back to take off his jeans and his jacket and climb into his bunk and then, when he finally has some semblance of privacy, he turns on his phone and takes a deep breath.

Somewhere in his mind he knows this is probably a really bad idea that he's going to regret but he's got this whole living in the moment thing going on and he's not exactly the most logical person right now so he types and sends the text without even pausing.

From: Ross Lynch  
To: Laura Marano  
April 24, 2013 9:04 PM

_I heard you got asked to prom._

His stomach twists painfully as he waits for her response and he stares at his phone until it dims and then turns black.

The next few minutes feel like hours and his mind is racing, thinking about what she's going to say, but then finally, his phone buzzes and he scrambles to unlock it.

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 24, 2013 6:10 PM

_Hey! :D What city are you in? Haha yeah._

He swallows. So it's true, then. All he can focus on is the 'yeah' and he looks at it for a minute as if that one word will suddenly reveal all the truths of the universe. Or at least the truth of his universe (which may or may not solely consist of a dorky, GoGurt-obsessed-lame-joke-loving-songwriter).

From: Ross Lynch  
To: Laura Marano  
April 24, 2013 9:12 PM

_Who asked you? A friend?_

His eyes are practically burning a hole in the screen with how hard he's staring at his phone waiting for a response but it doesn't come. He waits for two hours mindlessly browsing until he falls into an uneasy asleep with his phone resting on his chest and it's 2 am when it buzzes and he's jolted awake. She replies with one word and it's enough for him to know he's not going to be sleeping any more tonight.

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 24, 2013 10:01 PM

_Why?_

He thinks about his possible responses.

Because I need to know who to punch in the face.

Because I need to know who my fucking competition is.

Because I need to know if he can make you as happy as I know I can.

Because—actually, it doesn't matter who it is.

All that matters is that it's not him.

* * *

He doesn't send a reply that night, or the next morning. He doesn't know what to say.

Because really, why should he be allowed to care? They're not together. She doesn't belong to him. He could argue that he's her friend and that's why he should know, but they aren't exactly the sort of friends that talk about things like prom and dates and crushes because he's pretty sure that would be kind of awkward since he'd only ever be talking about her.

So he doesn't do anything. He's in this impossible situation where he's too afraid of losing her by saying something, not to mention that he _can't_, because he knows she deserves to be happy and go to prom and experience it with someone who can actually be there and who's not too much of a coward to make a move.

The day passes like all the others while they're on tour and before he knows it the concert's over and he's back in his bunk, scanning through his mentions after he tweets a video that he took of tonight's show. His eyes land on her name and he reads the tweet and almost laughs out loud because it's something he knows she would love. He sends a semi related response to the girls who sent the jokes but silently thanks them in his head because he can't really acknowledge that he's actually going to text those to her without it becoming a huge deal.

It's two jokes, stupid jokes that he knows she'll think are hilarious, especially the one about _The Lion King_. He texts them to her, the whole prom thing slipping from his mind for just a second because he remembers that she's still his best friend and one of his favorite things to do is make her laugh.

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 25, 2013 7:52 PM

_Those are amazing! I'm laughing so hard right now! Where are you?_

He grins to himself and then types out a quick response.

From: Ross Lynch  
To: Laura Marano  
April 25, 2013 10:53 PM

_On our way to Philly. What's up?_

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 25, 2013 7:55 PM

_Just the usual. School, getting styled for the RDMAs (I'm excited to see you and to see you win!), SAT prep, prom dress shopping, some charity stuff. Not nearly as exciting as touring the country…_

And there it is. _Prom dress shopping_. Those three words are enough to make him feel like he's been punched in the gut all over again and all of a sudden he's angry because he realizes that she didn't have to tell him that. She didn't have to bring it up for any reason at all but she did and he doesn't know what it means but he thinks it has to mean something because of their brief conversation last night. He wonders if she's trying to make him jealous but it's such an un-Laura like thing to do that he immediately dismisses the thought.

But that doesn't mean it's an un-Ross like thing to do.

From: Ross Lynch  
To: Laura Marano  
April 25, 2013 10:57 AM

_Yeah, tour's been pretty exciting. Some of these girls get really crazy, if you know what I mean. O_o_

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 25, 2013 7:59 PM

_I wish you could see me rolling my eyes._

He's about to type back a reply but another text comes in from her before he can.

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 25, 2013 7:59 PM

_Be careful._

He smirks when he sees it because he knows he's at least embedded the thought in her brain now, of him actually hooking up with some random girl at a concert, and he's secure in the fact that it affected her enough to acknowledge it.

From: Ross Lynch  
To: Laura Marano  
April 25, 2013 11:00 PM

_What can I say, gotta live the rockstar life. ;)_

A few minutes pass and he starts to get nervous because that last text is approaching a line that he's never crossed before and he has no idea how she's going to take it. But then she finally replies and he can't stop grinning when he reads the response.

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 25, 2013 8:10 PM

_Eyes. Rolling. Good night._

He shuts his phone off and pumps his fist like an idiot and then his eyes widen because he comes to the realization that this counts as a victory.

In a fight he's just decided to join.

* * *

reviews=happiness

(And guys, just to let you know, I will never not update/finish a story. I don't start writing anything unless I know how it's going to end.)


	2. Baby Losing Balance

Disclaimer: Ross and Laura aren't mine.

A/N: This story is actually turning out to be a lot harder to write than I thought it would be and this chapter makes me cringe a little bit but I'm sick of messing around with it so here it is.

* * *

_Sold out show tonight baby! Can't wait to see all those Philly girls. _

He sends the tweet while he's still on a high from her response to his text from the night before. He thinks about it all night, formulating subtle ways to maybe make her a little jealous even though he knows deep down that it's petty and childish and probably a little bit wrong but his heart is kind of bruised right now. He blinks down at his phone after he sends it as if he's expecting some huge confession from her to appear but obviously it doesn't and he realizes she probably won't even see it. And if she does see it, she's not the type of person to respond to it, assuming that she even knows it's directed at her.

The thought is enough to make his mood drop again and he's suddenly irritated because he feels helpless. Jealousy does not suit him. He's not used to not getting what he wants and he's not used to being in a position where he doesn't know what to do to get what he wants. He's not exactly spoiled, but he's never really failed at anything he's tried and it's a strange feeling to get used to, this feeling of losing something he's not certain he ever had in the first place.

His brain heads into dangerous territory when he starts wondering what her date is like. He's met a few of her friends before at set visits and parties and they've all seemed nice enough, if a little boring, but he can't imagine her _being_ with any of them. But then again they're both TV stars and musicians and have these crazy lives that he doubts anyone can understand except them. He tries thinking of how she's going to look on the arm of someone else but it's his face that he sees next to hers every time he tries to picture it.

He's jolted out of his thoughts when he feels his phone vibrate.

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 24, 2013 2:05 PM

_It looks like you guys are having fun in Philly. I'm jealous- so much history! Liberty Bell, am I right?_

He rolls his eyes at the typically nerdy reason for her excitement and then he realizes that she must have sent that text because she saw the pictures he uploaded. Which means she probably saw what he tweeted. He thinks carefully about his response but he receives another text before he can send it.

From: Laura Marano  
To: Ross Lynch  
April 26, 2013 2:06 PM

_And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, please be careful. You said yourself that the fans are kind of crazy (plus…you kind of encourage it). I'll see you on Saturday! Have a great show! :D_

His eyes widen in disbelief. She had pretty much admitted that she had seen the tweet _and_ that she wasn't exactly happy about it and he has absolutely no idea what to do. So he doesn't reply, figuring he'll see her in person the next day anyway.

Later that day he falls half asleep with his headphones in and loses himself in thoughts of her. He feels almost delirious when he wakes up to a Bruce Springsteen song because he's been thinking about every touch, every smile, every laugh for the past two years and he's suddenly overcome when he hears the line _I just want someone to hold on to and a little of that human touch_. Because it's _everything_ he's feeling right now only he doesn't want someone, he wants her, he wants Laura, and he's never wanted anything more in his entire life. He tweets it because he wants her (and everyone) to see that he's not as happy and carefree and crazy as he let on earlier (and that this whole prom thing is maybe kind of slowly killing him).

That night he plays the show like always and if he gets a little crazier than normal no one comments on it. Because he feels like he can kind of breathe for the first time in days. He knows her well enough that he can read between the lines of her message to understand that she's feeling _something_ towards him and that has to be good enough for now.

* * *

He can't help but feel genuinely excited when he arrives at the Radio Disney Music Awards because it's the first awards show he's really ever been to and he's up for a few and he's worked really hard for all of this.

He's gotten strict instructions that his role tonight is to promote his movie and his band and not focus on _Austin and Ally_ as much and he does what he's told. He's paired with Maia instead of Laura on the red carpet, which is a strange feeling, but it's his job and he answers questions and takes pictures with a smile on his face.

He's been looking for her since he arrived but they're thrust into interview after interview and the camera flashes are blinding. He's halfway up the carpet when he faintly hears the photographers call out her name from the other end. He cranes his neck like an idiot to try and see her (thankfully there are no cameras on him at that moment) and the brief glimpse is enough to make his breath catch.

He's pushed forward before he can get another look and he shakes his head a little to clear it. Maia looks at him oddly but he just grins and poses next to her until the carpet is finally over and they can go inside.

He exhales loudly and stares at the ground for a second.

"Hey, are you okay?" Maia asks, the concern evident on her face. "You look like you're not okay."

He smiles and nods. "Yeah," he lies. "I'm just excited."

"Um, okay?" she says, raising an eyebrow. "I'm going to go find my seat, I'll see you when we present?"

He nods absentmindedly and hardly notices when she walks away. He feels like something is about to happen tonight and he suddenly wants nothing more than to talk to her, try to gauge how she's feeling, because the past few days have been weird between them and he can't be the only one to be feeling this way.

He wanders backstage and talks to a couple of friends he hasn't seen for a while and then he hears her voice.

"Hi, Stormie! It's so good to see you!" she says and he slowly turns his head to see that she's talking to his mom. Her hair is pulled to the side and she looks edgy and confident and different and _hot_ and he swallows because he doesn't think he's ever wanted her more than he does right now.

His mom hugs her. "It's so good to see you, Laura! We all miss you so much!"

She smiles. "I miss everyone too. How's tour?"

"Crazy," his mom says, rolling her eyes. "You know the boys."

She laughs. "I know! I've been seeing your pictures. It looks amazing, though." She hesitates. "Is Ross around? I want to wish him good luck."

She points to him and he flushes a little, having been caught looking at them. "Hey, Laura," he says.

"Let me get a picture of you two! You're matching!" his mom exclaims before she can reply and then they're both grinning at each other and it's like nothing matters any more.

He slides his sunglasses on and stands slightly behind her and they both try to keep straight faces as they pose and he thinks it's probably his favorite picture he's ever taken with her when he sees it. It embodies everything about her that he loves, her humor and energy and how she takes herself a little less seriously than he does. He's about to say something but his mom interrupts.

"I'm going to go sit down with your dad, Laura," she says. "I'll see you both soon!"

And then they're alone and his mouth runs dry because he doesn't know what to say.

She grins. "That was a pretty badass pose," she says and he laughs because Laura is exactly the opposite of _badass_ and he's not used to hearing words like that coming out of her mouth.

"You _look_ pretty badass," he says, grinning back. "I think you're channeling me right now."

She rolls her eyes. "You don't own the rights to wearing leather jackets, Ross. But thank you," she says, laughing.

"Anyway, good luck tonight," she says. "I'm really excited for you."

"Thanks," he says, feeling the tips of his ears growing hot. "It's pretty cool, isn't it?"

She nods. "Totally cool."

They stand there awkwardly looking at each other for a second and then she blinks up at him. "We should probably go sit down," she says, and then starts to turn around.

There are a million thoughts running through his brain and he knows as he does it that it's probably a terrible idea but he grabs her wrist as she starts to walk away and tugs her around to face him.

"Who are you going to prom with?" he says, his voice sharp and his face serious. "Tell me."

Her eyes widen in surprise. She stares at him as if she can't believe what she's hearing but then her eyes narrow. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I need to know," he says firmly, his eyes not leaving hers. "Do you like him? Like, as more than a friend?"

She looks at him for a long moment with a strange expression on her face and he has absolutely no idea what she's thinking.

"You don't know him," she says finally, breaking eye contact to look down at the ground. "And even if you did, why does it matter?" she repeats.

He exhales heavily. "Do I really have to say it?"

Her eyes are challenging when she looks back up at him. "Say what?"

He answers before he can even think about it. "That I don't want you to go with anyone except me."

She suddenly looks incredibly angry. "And what right do you have to say that, Ross? What do you think you've done that gives you the right to say that to me?"

He narrows his eyes at her. "I think I've made it pretty damn obvious how I feel about you."

She looks at him incredulously and her voice lowers to the point that he has to lean in slightly to hear her. "Really? Because texting about how you're going to get girl crazy and insane and implying that you're hooking up with random girls while you're on tour is supposed to make me understand how you feel about me? Because all that told me is that you couldn't care less about who asked me to prom!"

He feels his chest tighten painfully but he can't stop. "What was I supposed to do when you're sitting there telling me about how you're going _dress shopping_ and telling me to be _careful_? What the hell is that?"

She flushes but her voice is dangerously quiet when she speaks and he can tell she's barely keeping her composure. "How could I have possibly known that talking about how I'm shopping for a prom dress would turn you into some sort of insanely jealous moron? And I told you to be careful because I was worried about you and I don't want you to get hurt. You're not the kind of guy who acts like that. Your favorite movie is Romeo and Juliet and you're more sentimental than any girl I've ever met in my entire life. What was I supposed to think?"

His voice gets louder in contrast to her quiet intensity and he thinks the crew backstage might be staring at him but he can't bring himself to care even a little bit. "Do you honestly think I was hooking up with random girls? Do you _honestly_ think that I would do that? I'm trying to tell you that I think I'm in love with you! And yeah, I'm _insanely jealous_ that some other guy is gonna dance with you and take pictures with you and _be with you_ and that I can't do anything about it!"

She takes a step back and stares at him. "You think you love me?" she asks quietly, and his heart flutters because he thinks he finally got through to her. But then her eyes harden and she looks at him with the most disappointed face he's seen in his entire life and he feels like he's been punched in the gut. "Then prove it. I'm not going to play this game with you. And my prom date is a friend. Just a friend."

He stares after her as she spins around and walks away quickly and his mind is reeling. He might throw up, he thinks, as his stomach coils painfully, and he closes his eyes for a second, breathing heavily through his nose. In the back of his head he knows that this isn't the time or place for him to lose it because he's supposed to be sitting three seats away from her in less than a minute and then present an award and maybe even get one. He somehow manages to compose himself on the walk to his seat and avoids looking at her when he walks past.

The show passes in a blur and he barely even remembers presenting the award but then he's back in the audience and hears his name being called as the winner of _Best Music Video_ and he's so surprised he can barely form more than two sentences while he's giving his speech. He chances a glance at her as he walks off the stage and she's grinning so widely at him she can barely contain it and he swallows because he knows he probably doesn't even deserve this girl, this girl who would still be that happy for him even after they had exchanged such terrible words.

Suddenly, while he's watching her laugh as she high-fives his mom and her dad, he realizes that he wants to be the kind of boy that could maybe come close to deserving her. And he resolves to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

He's scheduled to leave right after the show ends because he's still on tour, after all, and he's alone, on his way down the hallway to the exit to the waiting car, when he's abruptly pulled into an open doorway. It shuts before he knows what's happening and he turns around to see Laura grinning at him.

Her arms are around him before he can even say anything and he wraps his around her waist in the next instant and turns his face into her neck. They're silent for what feels like minutes and he can feel her even breathing on his skin and the slight tightening of her arms around his neck and he closes his eyes and lets himself forget about everything but her.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispers.

He just nods into her shoulder because he knows he wouldn't be able to speak if he tried. He swallows down the lump in his throat and squeezes his eyes shut and burns this moment into his brain because he can't remember a time when he's loved her more than this exact second.

He has to physically force himself to let her go when he feels her pull away and he avoids her eyes as she takes a step back.

She hesitates. "I'm really happy for you, Ross. But…"

"But you're still angry," he finishes, and then finally looks at her. "I'll make this up to you. I don't know how yet, but I will. I promise, Laura."

She gives him a half smile and the skepticism is plain on her face. "I'll see you in July."

And she walks past him and opens the door and then she's gone and suddenly he can't feel that thing inside his chest anymore, the thing that pumps his blood and keeps him alive.

Because he's pretty sure that she took his heart with her.

* * *

reviews make me happy


	3. I Never Had A Chance

Disclaimer: Ross and Laura and R5 are real people and therefore not owned by anyone. Well, maybe by Disney. Or HR. Just not me.

A/N: Well the end is finally here and I met my deadline of finishing it before Laura's actual prom! I hope you guys like it. The song is called _Never Stop _(Wedding Version) by Safetysuit. (thank you Emily!)

* * *

They haven't communicated in two weeks. No texts. No phone calls. Nothing. Everything he knows about her is what she tweets to her fans, which isn't much. He knows she got an iPad. He knows she hung out with Calum until 1 in the morning. He knows she took the SATs. He digs a little and finds out who she's _not_ going to prom with. He knows she's not doing anything differently than she usually does.

He, on the other hand, is kind of a mess. His mood has been erratic and his family is starting to notice. He's been silent, maybe brooding a little, as they're driving from Vancouver back into the United States when his sister finally calls him out on it.

"What's the matter with you?" Rydel asks, taking a seat next to him. "You've been weird ever since the RDMAs. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he says instantly, trying to perk up. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired."

"You're my little brother. I know when something's wrong with you and something's wrong with you. Now spill."

He shakes his head. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Does it look like I'm giving you a choice?" she says, raising an eyebrow.

He sighs and her eyes soften. "Come on, Ross, is it about Laura? The prom thing? You know you couldn't have gone anyway."

He doesn't say anything for a long moment and instead stares at the floor. "But if I was with her she wouldn't be going with someone else," he finally says. He looks up to see that her eyebrows are raised slightly. "I confronted her at the RDMAs," he confesses quietly. "I was a jackass about it, too. She's pretty mad at me."

She frowns. "What did you do?"

He shakes his head. "I was being an idiot. Trying to make her jealous because I thought that's what she was doing. What was I even thinking? It's _Laura_. And then I told her that I _loved_ her." He laughs bitterly. "And to top it all off, I'm pretty sure she likes me back. But I totally blew it."

"Oh, and I haven't talked to her in two weeks. So yeah, that's cool," he continues sarcastically. "I might have lost my best friend, too."

Her face falls. "Oh, Ross," she says. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugs. "It's my own fault. And I can't do anything about it because we play a show that night."

"Maybe you can," she says after a minute. "A flight from San Francisco to LA is what, like an hour and a half?"

"We have a show. I can't bail on our fans to crash her prom. Which would actually probably make her more upset," he argues.

She nods. "Leave right after. You need to do something big, Ross," she says encouragingly.

"After?" he asks, slightly confused. "But I wouldn't get to LA until what, 2 am?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something," she says, pulling him in for a hug. "You always do."

He absentmindedly hugs her back and then sits there, thinking. He hardly notices when she walks away with a small smile on her face but then he hears her telling their parents that they need to book him a flight ticket as soon as possible. He watches out of the corner of his eye as his mom smiles and nods (because it's _Laura_ and no one, not even his mom, needs more explanation than that) as Rydel explains what happened and he knows he won't have to worry about that, at least.

It takes him a day but he finally comes up with a plan.

And it's going to be all or nothing.

* * *

All or nothing means that he plays the best show of his life and then skips out on signing after the concert to catch a plane to LA.

He's showered and dressed and in the air holding a corsage a little after midnight and before he knows it they're landing and he starts to panic a little bit because he still doesn't know _exactly_ what he's going to do. He changes into a tuxedo in the airport bathroom and his hands may or may not be slightly trembling as he knots his tie.

There's a car waiting for him and he tells the driver the address to her house and he's praying she's home by now because it's 2 am and he doesn't know if he can take knowing that she's still out with _some guy _this late even if she said he was just a friend.

He practices what he's going to say during the drive to her house in his head and then they're pulling up across the street and his heart starts pounding wildly. He takes a deep breath and then he walks around to where he knows her bedroom window is and peeks in. She's standing in front of her dresser in her pajamas, undoing her hair in front of the mirror, and he quickly taps on the glass before he can think about it too much.

She jumps and whirls around, her eyes wide, and then she spots him outside the window. Her jaw drops and he motions for her to open the latch. She slowly walks over, a cautious expression on her face, like she can't believe that it's actually him, and slides it open.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" she asks, before he can say anything.

He smiles sheepishly. "Will you come outside?"

She looks at him incredulously. "Are you serious? Ross, it's almost—" She turns her head to look at what he presumes is a clock. "—Three am, can we just talk in the morning? How did you even get here so fast? Didn't you guys just play in San Francisco?"

"I took a plane. I need to talk to you. Please?"

She bites her lip. "Okay," she says after a pause. "Backyard?"

He nods and watches her leave her room before he walks around to the back of the house. She steps down from the patio and carefully closes the door and walks over to him with a questioning look on her face when she finally sees how he's dressed.

He suddenly forgets everything he was going to say because she's standing in front of him now and it's real and it's happening and he realizes that this might be his one chance.

"I came to apologize," he says, looking at her. "I never said I was sorry. At the RDMAs, I mean." He pauses. "And I am. I'm so sorry. I was being an idiot. I tried to make you jealous and play games and it was a shitty thing to do. But the idea that you were going to prom with someone else—and that you _went_—was and still kind of is driving me insane."

She raises her eyebrows but he continues, taking a step towards her. "I had this entire speech planned out but I can't remember a single word of it anymore so I'm just going to say it. I'm done screwing around. I want to be with you, Laura," he says.

She looks at him with an unreadable expression on her face. "What's with the tux?" she finally says.

He gives her a half smile and shrugs. "I was hoping I could…take you to prom?"

He holds out the corsage to her and she lifts her hand so he can put it on her wrist, looking at him suspiciously.

"You know, my night was a disaster," she says as he digs in his pocket for his phone. "All around terrible."

"What? Why?" he asks, stopping to look up in surprise. "What happened?"

She sighs. "Turns out the 'just friends guy' was you know, not exactly looking for a new _friend_."

He narrows his eyes. "_What_?"

She shrugs. "Calm down, Ross. It wasn't a big deal. He just wasn't really the guy I thought he was and I kind of spent the night by the punch bowl…not dancing," she says, frowning slightly.

He frowns and then reaches out to take her hand. "Hey," he says quietly. "Then will you dance with me?"

She looks up at him and she doesn't have any makeup on and her hair is kind of a mess and she's wearing an old T-shirt that's seen better days but he doesn't think he's ever seen anything prettier in his entire life. "Okay," she says softly, taking his hand, and he smiles, then presses play on his phone.

_This is my love song to you  
Let every woman know I'm yours  
So you can fall asleep each night babe__  
And know I'm dreaming of you more  
_

The sound is a little muffled because he has to keep the phone in his pocket but the music surrounds them in the quiet night air and he tugs her towards him gently. He wraps his arms around her waist and she circles hers around his neck and rests her head on his chest as they sway slowly.

_____You're always hoping that we make it  
__You always want to keep my gaze  
But you're the only one I see love  
That's the one thing that won't change_

"I'm still mad," she says suddenly. "You should know that you can't just sweep me off my feet this easily."

He lets out a quiet laugh. "I didn't know I was sweeping," he counters.

___I will never stop trying  
__I will never stop watching as you leave  
I will never stop losing my breath  
Every time I see you looking back at me_

She leans back slightly so she can look at him. "You aren't," she says. "Not even a teeny tiny little bit of sweeping is going on here."

"Oh yeah?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

_____And I will never stop holding your hand  
__I will never stop opening your door  
I will never stop choosing you babe  
I will never get used to you_

"Yeah," she says. "But I didn't get to dance all night and it's all I really wanted to do and you're…available, I guess," she says in a bored tone.

He gives her a small smile. "Whatever you want," he says, because if he thinks about it, he knows that he really, really means _whatever she wants_, whether or not that includes him.

_And with this love song to you—_

She looks at him for a moment and then she lets out a frustrated sigh, letting go of him and taking a step back. He fumbles in his pocket to turn the music off.

"Why did you have to go and do this?" she says angrily. "Why did you have to _fly_ here and come to my house at freaking 3 in the morning wearing a suit and a tie holding a corsage with my favorite flower—I don't even know how you know that by the way—and play music and ask me to dance? How am I supposed to stay mad at you?"

His eyes widen. "I don't—"

She takes a step closer and rises up on her tiptoes, her eyes narrowed in anger as she cuts him off. "You don't know, right? You think you can just waltz in here and turn out to be the best part of this stupid night with your stupid smile and your stupid dress shoes and your stupid song?"

He looks at her in confusion. "My shoes? Laura, what—"

"I just wanted to be mad at you," she says tiredly, falling back onto her heels. "I wanted to be mad at you and enjoy this night and not think about you. But you just…you're _here_."

He reaches out and takes her hand and she squeezes his fingers back just the tiniest bit. "I'm here," he repeats quietly. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Unless you want me to."

She nods and he thinks she's about to ask him to leave and his heart drops. "I don't want you to go," she whispers after a moment. "Can we just…finish the dance?"

He nods slowly and turns the music back on and she hesitantly takes a step closer and winds her arms around his neck. He drops his chin to rest it on her shoulder and circles his arms around her waist and she turns her face into his neck and he shivers a little when he feels her breath on his skin. He squeezes her a little tighter when he feels her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck and she lets out a breath and then they're both silent as the music floats around them.

_____It's not a momentary phase  
__You are my life, I don't deserve you  
But you love me just the same  
_

_____And as the mirror says we're older____  
I want to look the other way_

_____________You are my life, my love, my only  
__And that's the one thing that won't change_

_________________I will never stop trying  
__I will never stop watching as you leave  
I will never stop losing my breath  
Every time I see you looking back at me_

___________________And I will never stop holding your hand  
__I will never stop opening your door  
I will never stop choosing you babe  
I will never get used to—_

"You still get my heart racing, you still get my heart racing for you," he sings quietly. He lifts his hand from where it's resting on her waist to take hers and leans back a little bit. She looks up at him with wide eyes and his pulse is racing as he places her hand over his heart, covering it with his own.

_______________You still get my heart racing  
__You still get my heart racing for you_

He can't look away as he whispers the chorus to her and neither of them notices that they've stopped dancing but are standing completely still, just looking at each other, as he tries to convey every emotion that he's felt for her over the past two years.

___________________I will never stop trying  
__I will never stop watching as you leave  
I will never stop losing my breath  
Every time I see you looking back at me_

___________________And I will never stop holding your hand  
__I will never stop opening your door  
I will never stop choosing you babe  
_

"I will never get used to—" He's cut off when she rises up on her tiptoes and kisses him, a soft, brief kiss that has his head spinning.

"Um, so maybe there was uh, a little sweeping going on," she stammers nervously, blushing slightly. "But just a little."

He finally takes a breath. "You like the romantic stuff just as much as I do, don't you, Marano?" he asks, grinning. "I told you I'd make it up to you, didn't I?"

She tries not to smile back but can't help it. "Hmm," she says. "We'll see."

He raises an eyebrow. "See what? You're the one who kissed me."

"I have yet to see you actually open a door for me, Lynch," she says lightly. "Do that and then we'll talk."

She starts to turn away but he pulls on her hand gently to spin her back around. "Anything you want," he mumbles, his eyes serious, and he knows she understands that he's not just talking about doors.

Her smile fades slowly and then they're both just looking at each other again and he can't help but lower his head just slightly. He searches her eyes and she tightens her grip on his hand almost imperceptibly and then he's kissing her and she responds immediately, stepping forward until her chest is nearly flush with his. He lifts his hand to cup her neck and she leans into him as he wraps his other arm around her waist and he deepens the kiss, pressing her even closer to him.

They break apart and he watches as her eyes slowly open and he knows he couldn't look away even if he tried. Because she's staring at him in a way he's never, ever seen before and it makes his breath catch and he closes his eyes as she tilts her head up to softly press her lips to his cheek.

"Thank you for prom," she says softly. "And…I'm officially swept."

He tightens his arms around her waist. "So what do I get for that?" he asks.

She lifts her hand that's resting on his arm to cup his cheek and he tilts his head into her hand, the corner of his mouth turning up as she smiles at him and he thinks he might want to stay right here, forever, with her.

"This," she whispers, and then she rises on her tiptoes to kiss him softly, letting her fingers wander into his hair as his tangle in the fabric of her shirt and right now, in this moment, it's _him_ and it's _her_ and it's _them_ and everything he will ever need.

* * *

thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed so far!

reviewing will make you feel good inside...so do it :)

(and I'm just going to self promote for a second, please go read What We Have Is Never Ending (my multichapter Auslly fic) because it's sort of my baby and my favorite thing I've ever written and thank you again and I'm done, I promise)


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